The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice by Amy Alznauer illustrated by Anna Bron**

 All of her life Marjorie loved nature and mathematics. When she expressed her desire to study art and geometry, her parents instead recommended that she become a secretary.  Within her quiet life as a mother of five children, Majorie continued to study shapes and to learn about math and geometry. Through an announcement in Scientific American , December 1975, Marjorie learns that possible pentagons that tessellate were still waiting to be discovered. Marjorie ends up finding many more pentagons. It wasn't her degree or her desire for money or fame that bolstered her determination; it was her love for geometry and art.

**Highly, highly recommend.

Inspiring! When teaching about M.C. Escher, parents and teachers can introduce Marjorie Rice, an ordinary woman who pursued an interest without the goal of recognition.

The illustrations are mathematical/geometrical and beautiful. The author alternates the history of fitting shapes together and Marjorie's life until they merge. The illustrator defines each focus with a border (shape history=tan rectangular  border, Marjorie's life=no  tan border)

Consideration: old-earth worldview

-Borrowed from the library.

 

All Creatures Great & Small Season 5 DVD*

 A return to the Yorkshire Dales during WW II- 1941

Skeldale House hosts a skeleton crew-Siegfried & Mrs. Hall, Helen & Jimmy, and Carmody 

Each character navigates doing "their bit" for the war effort. This season is better than Season 4 because Tristan returns! My son and I were delighted for him to add his spunk and humor to the episodes! (It was sad to see Carmody leave, though.) The episodes seem to becoming more dramatic but are still wholesome and uplifting.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Considerations: They drink on a regular basis.

Dino Poet by Tom Angleberger

 A graphic novel

A dinosaur learns the finer points of poetry from a frog he wants to eat. To save himself, the frog distracts the dinosaur with poetry lessons. In the end, a friendship and a poet are born.

Reluctant readers and reluctant poets will enjoy this book.  A basic introductory to poetry and different poetry forms

-Borrowed from the library

The King of All Things by Shay & Catherine Gregorie illustrated by Breezy Brookshire*

 First of all, any book illustrated by Breezy Brookshire is going to be lovely to view! The illustrations will bring joy and delight to the readers. This sturdy "board" book introduces deep truths about God. Toddlers and preschoolers will understand how incredible, how powerful, and yet how personal God is.

*Highly recommend. (it may be one that I buy for friends with a new baby!)

-Borrowed from the library.

A Day at the Beach by Gary Schmidt & Ron Koertge

 The beach beckons all types of people to spend a day in its beauty and in its delight. Each person playing and relaxing on the beach possesses a unique story. Mr. Schmidt & Mr. Koertge reveal over twenty-five very diverse middle school perspectives/lives during one day at Rockcastle Beach, NJ. I loved how the authors caused some of the characters to meet, to interact, and to impact each other. Beginning and ending the day with siblings, Jackie & Simon, running on the beach was an apt way to begin and end the story.

Although I love Gary Schmidt's books, this one was not a favorite (see below why). It is a clever concept and well-written. The diverse characters and their stories are intriguing.  I just didn't agree with the worldviews they presented. 

Warnings/considerations: One character mentions that her parents divorced and her mom has a girlfriend, one Dad tells his son that he has good taste in girls (creepy!!), a group of girls walks the boardwalk where a group of boys checks them out and flirts with them-when one of the boys messes up a compliment, things become a bit messy/mean, a girl interacts with a girl with Biblical knowledge, who people may conclude she is a "Christian", this "Christian girl" is quite pushy and not kind in sharing her beliefs, a few swear words

Old School by Gordon Korman

 I loved reading about Dexter Foreman, homeschooled by his grandmother and her elderly friends at The Pines retirement village. Because she has not filed any paperwork all of these years, a truancy officer arrives and requires Dexter to attend Wolf's Eye Middle School as a seventh grader. Initially Dexter hates it there. The building is falling apart (He cannot resist fixing things, even a collapsed step.); the kids' education is inferior. Then his wish comes-he is expelled from the school. Suddenly he is a celebrity. The kids, who prior would not interact with him, demand he returns. Chaos abounds at Wolf's Eye Middle School. Will Dexter choose to stay home or return to public school?

I loved Dexter's elderly friends and how they taught him with excellence. I also loved how the author forms friendships with unlikely ages-the elderly and the middle schoolers.  The author points out the quality education Dexter received at "home" but also emphasizes the importance of Dexter being with kids his own age. 

The chapters are told from many different perspectives. The perspectives are repeated throughout the story.

Considerations: middle school drama, catty, petty middle school behavior/friendships,  Dexter's only friend from his childhood who is his age, shows up, looking very pretty-he notices, discuss homeschool vs. public school,an elderly friend passes away, the ending is a bit dramatic and not quite credible

The House on the Canal by Thomas Harding illustrated by Britta Teckentrup*

 The author and the illustrator share the history of the house where Anne Frank and her family hid during WW II. Dates are tucked up in the upper right hand side of every two-page spread. I found this book fascinating! I also enjoyed these duo's book, The House on the Lake.

Older readers will appreciate this book more than elementary or younger.

*Highly recommend for junior high, high school , and adults.

-Borrowed from the library.